The Woodlands Township Board to consider anti-annexation amendment next week

THE WOODLANDS, TX – In an official statement from The Woodlands Township, the board of directors will hold a Special Board Meeting on Wednesday, August 26, at 4:00 p.m. to consider a proposed amendment to its longtime Regional Participation Agreement with the City of Houston. On the same date, Houston City Council will hold its own meeting in comparable consideration.

The proposed amendment would end the long-term Regional Participation Fund payment structure. The fund – which uses one-sixteenth of one cent of sales tax levied in The Woodlands – was created in 2007 in an agreement between the City of Houston and the Township to finance regional infrastructure and public projects for issues such as public safety, water supply, and parks.

In the amendment, it calls for payments totaling $27.4 million from The Woodlands Township to the City of Houston spread over the next three years at a rate of approximately $9 million per year. It also releases restrictions on $22.6 million currently held in the fund, making those funds available for the City of Houston’s use.

Additionally and of particular interest to Woodlanders, the updated agreement would eliminate for all time the possibility of future annexation of The Woodlands Township by the City of Houston, ensuring the Township maintained as an autonomous entity in perpetuity.

After the fund payout, beginning in 2030, sales tax revenues previously allocated to the fund would remain with The Woodlands Township and be available for Township priorities.

“The proposed amendment is the result of collaborative discussions between the City of Houston and The Woodlands Township to address the priorities of both organizations,” said Township Board President Brad Bailey in the statement. “The Woodlands Township Board of Directors looks forward to discussing the agreement publicly during its Special Board Meeting.”

Interested parties can attend the meeting to be held at The Woodlands Township office building located at 2801 Technology Forest Boulevard.